Q&A for How to Control Erosion

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  • Question
    Do trees, plants, and rocks help prevent erosion?
    Community Answer
    Yes! The roots of the plants and trees will help secure and hold onto the soil firmly, establishing an ecosystem by introducing soil organisms. Rocks also help keep the soil in place. Without rocks, the soil would become too loose and flow all over the place.
  • Question
    How can I stop heavy soil erosion in river land areas?
    Community Answer
    Heavy rain is one of the major causes of soil erosion. One of the ways to control this is by planting trees. The roots of the trees will hold the mud beneath it very firmly, thus preventing erosion.
  • Question
    How can minimizing the use of fire help in the control of soil erosion?
    Community Answer
    Fire can leave the land bare, and after it passes through (especially if burned fiercely), the soil becomes exposed to wind and water erosion with no plant roots to hold it in place anymore. Also the humus, the moisture content in soil, can be destroyed by a fierce fire. By minimizing the use of fire, this can give the soil a cover from fallen leaves and vegetation in general.
  • Question
    Could you explain in greater depth how minimizing the use of fire helps to control soil erosion?
    Community Answer
    Native trees, plants, shrubs, and grasses hold soil in place by their roots. They contribute to the build up of the soil by their life cycle. Decaying plant matter eventually turns into more soil. Plant life also slows the flow of water over the land which increases water absorption rate into soil. Finally, plants and especially trees store large amounts of water and then slowly release this water back into the atmosphere by way of a process called transpiration which contributes to a healthy water cycle. wildfires cause the temporary threat of mudslides since water can now move quickly over the surface of the land and can oversaturate the land during longer rainy periods, however, native grasses have roots which extend many feet below the soil surface. As soon as the fire is done, damage is repaired first by the native grasses that sprout back from these roots. On the other hand, if an area of land is continuously exposed to fire then the regeneration process takes much longer. Search terms - permaculture, ecosystem restoration.
  • Question
    What are the ways of controlling erosion?
    Community Answer
    This is from wikiHow; plant emergency cover, add layers, plant structural trees, tell landscapers/people who save the land from erosion, watch the weather, it could be the cause and finally enrich the soil.
  • Question
    How can I prevent erosion?
    Community Answer
    Use land according to its capability. Protect the soil surface with some form of cover, and control runoff before it develops into an erosive force.
  • Question
    How do we put nitrogen into the soil?
    Top Answerer
    Dig in any "nitrogen-fixing" plant material, which largely consists of legumes such as peas, soybeans, peanuts, clover, and alfalfa, among many others. See the Wikipedia article on nitrogen-fixing crops.
  • Question
    How do people help to stop soil and water erosion?
    Top Answerer
    The easiest way is to anchor the soil with a cover crop, of which there are many, the most common being grass.
  • Question
    How do I get the water to suck up in the plants?
    Top Answerer
    You don't. Just provide water if the soil is dry, and the plants will literally suck it up to the extent that they need it.
  • Question
    How can I keep soil and water from eroding?
    Community Answer
    Follow the instructions listed in the article above.
  • Question
    What plants can be used to control erosion?
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    Community Answer
    See How to Prevent Soil Erosion for information on this type of particular question.
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